The name Honduras literally translates to “depths” in Spanish. While there are many theories about its origin, it’s thought to refer to the deep waters off the coast of Trujillo, where Christopher Columbus anchored on his fourth and final voyage to the Americas. Upon arriving, he is believed to have said, “Gracias a Dios que hemos salido de esas honduras”, meaning “Thank God we have departed from those depths.”

The flag of Honduras is a simple one, featuring two horizontal turquoise stripes with a white stripe in the middle – symbolising the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, with land and sky in between. Five turquoise stars on the white stripe represent the former Federal Republic of Central America.

Honduras is a democratic republic where the President serves as both head of state and head of government, with a four-year term. Laws are passed by the National Congress of Honduras and implemented by the government, while the judiciary remains independent of both.

To this day, agriculture forms the backbone of the economy – making up more than a third of it – with coffee as the leading export, followed by bananas. Hondurans remain among the poorest people in Latin America, and inequality is still deeply entrenched.